Shared Experience

Recently, I received a landmark in my career as an author when the local chapter of a national book club named my latest book (Be Known for Your D.E.E.D.S.) as their selection of the month!  A HUGE honor!  To make the honor even more impactful I was invited to speak at their next meeting.  The great feeling just kept getting better!

Upon arriving at the venue (a restaurant) it rapidly became apparent the ambient noise level was going to be very high outside the reserved private room, and presenting a 30-minute program would be quite a challenge.  At this point in the story it would be easy to go on about the noise and the resulting difficulties, but let's change lanes and look at this from the perspective of the audience.

Too often, we, as speakers, tell of the drama we encounter when a venue, the material, or the audience are not set up perfectly for our style or message.  And those tales can be instructive, but rarely do we read (or hear) about the equally difficult challenge faced by the audience.  In this case, they were welcoming a speaker into a noisy space which necessitated they adjust their own ease and comfort to get the most out of the program.

My wife, Denise, had traveled with me and she commiserated with the club's members.  In so doing, she became a bridge to their view, and helped me to have a more balanced takeaway of what had just transpired.  Having this knowledge has me re-thinking experiential encounters.  Too often we only consider one perspective...our own.  Far fewer times do we even acknowledge that a speaking engagement, a graduation ceremony, a school play, a book signing, or other analogous gatherings have two sets of participants; those on stage and those in the audience.

In a very real sense both are dealing with the same experience.  For my moment in the sun as an author relishing the moment of recognition it was a noisy venue with wait-staff interruptions.  For the local members of the book club, guess what?  It was a noisy venue with wait-staff interruptions!  We both were immersed in an environment not in the least conducive to the planned program.

How often is it the case with so much else in life? The atmosphere of the restaurant is all wrong, there's no shade at the tennis match, the flight was delayed for mechanical reasons, etc.  We must try to get outside our own selves and attempt the viewpoint of others.  When we do we will draw closer to that place of understanding; that place of walking in the shoes of our brother or sister.  What could have been a disaster became a common bonding experience because each party realized we were united in the experience.  As a result, it was an unqualified success and both parties gained a fresh perspective about each other, and on the shared experience.

Fearlessly,
JD

Speaking with Eternity on the Line

Most of the speaking opportunities with which I’ve been blessed have been before secular audiences.  There is always an uplifting theme, this is the crux of my messages after all, but a declaration of my faith in God is typically not mentioned.

When I tell audiences, “You can be better than you’ve been, and do more than you’ve done,” it is sometimes received as an affront to their character, accomplishments, education, or life’s journey, but that is never my intent.  As I continue to deliver my remarks all audience members come to an understanding that their lives are meant to count for something larger than a job, career, keeping a roof overhead, or staying in shape through diet and exercise.

In a purely secular (ecumenical? humanistic?) setting everyone can appreciate the question I asked back in 2008, “Why am I here?”  Certainly most have pondered, if only for a moment, that age-old question of our existence on this earth.  What I convey to all audiences is the truth that this question has an answer, and we can know it…with certainty.

In my book, ‘Be Known for Your D.E.E.D.S.’ I relate my own progression through the truth of unique existence, inherent design, and specific passion.  There is a certain ignorance in society (and some societies) when it comes to God’s every day work in our lives.  Ignorance, by the way, is not a bad word; neither is it an insult.  It is a statement suggesting lack of knowledge in a given subject area.

I am bold enough to declare that I possess a rudimentary understanding of God’s love for us, and this knowledge has opened my eyes to, among other things, how blessed we are in the U.S., how amazing the earth’s distance from the sun really is, mankind’s dominion, and why the cycle of life on this planet ensures our continued existence.

When called upon to speak in churches, or to audiences comprised mostly of Christians, I am able to swing for the fences, to coin a phrase.  I can get to the heart of the matter, and express the Father’s will concerning the ‘why’ of our being, and further His agenda for the building of His kingdom (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…).

‘Be better than you’ve been, and do more than you’ve done’, finds its home in the hearts of men and women who embrace the big picture of life, and the very uniqueness of their own lives.  Minds begin opening to the truth of unique, inherent design when I state the very simple fact, “There’s a reason there aren’t six billion doctors on the planet. We don’t all want to be doctors.”

Speaking with eternity on the line means I will convey God’s truth about our lives, and the importance of living for a purpose beyond our immediate needs.  The folks who adhere to the humanitarian aspects of other faiths, volunteer for philanthropic causes, or earnestly try to ‘pay it forward’ each day, are modeling that piece of God He has provided, though often are unaware of its source.

What I present to audiences is the truth God has blessed me to know, to live, and to share.  He opens doors for me to enter in with the message of higher calling, higher achievement, and higher living.  Destiny is on my lips for all to hear.  I do not hide my faith in Christ.  I do not shrink from being fully persuaded faith in Christ alone is the key to receive all this life, and the one to come, has to offer.

I speak knowing eternity is on the line.

Fearlessly,

JD

Who Knows?

Who knows you want to speak? Who knows the desire of your heart is to be on stage in front of men and women who need the information or encouragement you have to share? If your wife, husband, close friends, parents or children are not booking agents or event planners how will anyone know your desire?

Spread the word! Blog about it (http://JDtheSpeaker.blogspot.com), tweet about it (@JDtheSpeaker), get Linked In (www.LinkedIn/in/WalkerJerry). Join organizations which can educate you about the profession, instruct you in the art of speaking (Toastmasters, Dale Carnegie), or otherwise further your ambition. Are you a member of a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue? Get involved and volunteer to lead. Sooner or later you will be given a ‘voice’ in that setting. Volunteering to serve as an officer or other leadership role in an organization is a terrific way to ultimately get the microphone.

Are you writing? Oftentimes it is important to establish your particular expertise by writing about it. I have been recognized as a thought leader in the area of turning negative situations into positive outcomes, and part of that recognition has come through my willingness to study and write about the results. What is your message? Have you written about it?

My D.E.E.D.S.© presentation is all about helping men, women, and teens live a life of purpose and destiny. I now get paid to present D.E.E.D.S.©, and have recorded a live DVD and CD presenting the topic in short-form to a gathering of business professionals.

Much of my current success is directly attributable to joining Toastmasters. I took advantage of my membership to not only hone the craft of speaking, but to serve as an officer, to participate in the various speaking contests, to volunteer to serve in Area and Division speaking contests, and to visit other clubs. I have been given speaking opportunities as a Target Speaker in an Area Evaluation Contest, and as the Sample Speaker in front of a Demo Club Meeting.

By virtue of immersing myself in Toastmasters I got my first paid speaking gig, which prompted me to begin defining my central message for public presentation.

This passion to speak that you possess will go nowhere until you elevate speaking to a life priority, as I did. As a practical matter it means you will spend time each day furthering your passion, believing you are going to become what you seek. It also means you are going to educate yourself about the art of speaking, which for me meant becoming even more well read than I was, joining Toastmasters, studying the craft of speaking, and studying my central message (do you have a central message?).

As soon as you have a forum to speak, no matter the size of your audience, by all means Speak! This will happen most quickly at Toastmasters, but as soon as possible demonstrate this passion of yours. What you will find is that your love of life increases as you become the person you wish to be. This will not go unnoticed by your family, friends, and co-workers who will likewise appreciate the joy they see in you. You are now sharing your passion, and it’s a blessing. I know because I began this journey in 2008.

Fearlessly,
JD